Indorsing device for voting-machines.



A. J. GILLESPIE.

' Patented; Sept. 7, 1909.

7 --mm m 1% 8 INDORSING DEVICE FOR VOTING MAGHINES, APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. GILLESPIE, 0F ATLANTIC, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE U. S. STANDARD VOTING MACHINE COIEPANY, OF ROCHESTER AND JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

INDORSING DEVICE FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

933,428. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1969.

Application filed June 17, 1908.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. GILLESPIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indorsing Devices for Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to indorsed candidates on voting machines whereby, when a candidate has been nominated by two or more parties for the same oii'ice and his name appears two or more times on the machine for that ofiice in a multi-candidate group, the counters belonging to said candidate may be coupled together for simultaneous action whereby one vote and only one vote can be counted for such candidate by any one voter.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is an elevation of two counter channels as viewed from the back of the machine, with my improved indorsing bar placed between them. Fig. 2 is a view taken on section line of 2, 2 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a section or line 3, 3 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings and specifications like numerals refer to like parts.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain details of the machine such as are described in several recent patents such as Nos. 847,416 and 849,001, issued to IV. J. Lausterer.

In Fig. 1 reference numerals 4 and 5 refer to the bottom and top plates of the movable counter frame. Fastened to said counter frame are the parallel counter channels 66, in each of which counter channels is carried all of the counters that belong to its particular ofiice line in the machine. These counters are substantially of the same type as are described in my Patent 761,218, and are driven or operated by the pallet bar sub stantially the same as is described in said patent. Each counter 7 has at its right hand side a pallet bar 8 or counter actuator, and the numeral wheels of the counter are all carried on the single shaft. On the end of each of these shafts and outside of the coun- Selial No. 438,888.

ter channel is carried the knurled wheel 9 by means of which the counter may be reset. In the outer end of the pallet bar is punched the small hole 10.

Between the counte' channels I insert an indorsing bar 11, which bar slightly longer than the counter channels. At suitable intervals therein I provide pin holes 12 to which may be fitted links 13, such as are shown in Figs. 3 and 2. This link consists of a narrow piece of sheet metal curved down at its outer end and bearing therein a pin 14 which pin is designed to engage with the hole 10 at the outer end of the pallet bar. Any two counters in the same office line that belong to the same candidate should have their pallet bars connected to the indorsing bar 11, by the links 13. W hen the indorsed counters have been so connected up a vote registered on any one of the counters will be registered alike on all of these counters in the following way. If the pallet bar 15 in Fig. 2 directly operated, the upper end of the indorsing bar 11 will be drawn forward toward the plate 5 of the counter frame. When the upper end of bar 11 comes in contact with bar it will cease moving forward at its upper end. Theparts are so designed, however, that this will occur before the pallet bar 15 has reached the end of its stroke and as the pallet bar 15 continues toward the end of its stroke, the bar 11 will begin to swing with its contact with the bar 5 as a center and the lower end of the bar will be drawn forward thereby until the pallet bar 15 has completed its forward stroke. These terms are used relatively, it being understood that the operated pallet bars stand still while the counter frame moves. During the forward movement of the bar thus operated, the pallet bar 16 is also drawn forward by reason of the link 13'that connects it to the indorsing bar 11. In this way the movement of the pallet bar 15 is connnunicated to the pallet bar 16. The pallet bars shown in Fig. 3 are provided with a double ended spring, the outer end 17 of which bears against the adjacent counter channels and holds the pin 14 in engagement with its pallet bar. The other end of the spring 18 embraces between it and the link 13 the indorsing bar 11. A pin 19 carried on the link 14 passes through ing when it is being operated.

the hole 12 in the indorsing bar. The spring 18 prevents this engagement from breaking loose To get this indorsing bar into position it is inserted between the knurled wheels of one counter channel and the side of the next counter channel, sufiicient space being left between them to permit this. It may also be inserted from below the counter frame and between it and the key board of the machine, but I prefer to insert it directly between the two counter channels as above described. To support the indorsing bars I rivet to the bottom end thereof a bracket 20 which rests upon the bottom plate 4 of the counter frame. This bracket extends through between the counter, channels and has a sufficient bearing space be tween them to prevent the bar 11 from turn- 7 7 The outer end of this bracket 20 may be upturned as shown in 21 to make a suitable handle by means of which it may be the more conveniently placed in position between the counter channels.

From the above it will be seen that if any two counter actuators are connected up by my improved indorsing bar, and one of them is driven to operate its counter, the other counter actuator will in turn be driven to operate its counter as well. And it will also be noticed that the adjacent counter channels will act as guides for the indorsing bar that is placed between them. In this way the indorsing bar operates as a lever of the third class, the power always being exerted on it between the weight and fulcrum. The pallet bar that is directly driven by the machine is the power of the indorsing bar, the pallet bar that is driven is the weight, and the bar 4 or 5 is the fulcrum of the lever in any case. If three or more pallet bars are connected up to the indorsing bar, it may happen that the pallet bar that drives the indorsing bar may be between the other two, in which case the relation of the parts would vary from that stated above.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and patentable is as follows:

1. The combination in a voting machine of a pair of counter channels, counters and counter actuators supported thereon, a bar extending parallel therewith and guided thereby, connections between selected ones of said actuators and said bar, a stop for limiting the movement of each end of said bar whereby when one of said selected actuators is operated, the said bar, its stops and its connections with the actuators will cause the operation of the other actuators connected thereto.

2. In a voting machine, the combination of counters and counter actuators of an indorsing device therefor for causing the simultaneous operation of a plurality of selected ones of said counter actuators consisting of a bar mounted for sliding operation, connections between said bar and said selected counter actuators, and stops for limiting the movement of each end of said bar.

3. The combination of an indorsing bar operating as a lever of the third class, two fulcrums around either of which it may rotate, two counter actuators connected thereto by either of which it may be operated against the adjacent fulcrum.

at. The combination of an indorsing bar operating as a lever of the third class, two fulcrums around either of which it may rotate, two counter actuators connected thereto by either of which it may be operated to drive the other actuator by rotating said bar around one of said fulcrums.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J. GILLESPIE. Witnesses C. P. HUBBARD, D. S. ELDRIDGE. 

